Eddie SlovikU.S. Army privateDetroit-born private who became the only American soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War; his remains were brought home to Woodmere Cemetery in 1987.DETROIT / A living lexicon / ¼
Famous Detroiters
People who were born here, moved here or built their careers in Detroit: musicians, carmakers, athletes, writers, inventors, civil-rights leaders and a few notorious names. With their dates, their Detroit story and the places where they lived, worked and played, closed ones included.
- 1,949 famous people
- 516 Detroit places
- 13 fields
Hungarian ties 31 Detroiters with Hungarian ties →
Origin and citizenship
Field
Connection
Born in
A–Z (family name)
15 people
Clear filtersEddie SlovikU.S. Army privateDetroit-born private who became the only American soldier executed for desertion since the Civil War; his remains were brought home to Woodmere Cemetery in 1987.Edmund SzokaCatholic cardinal, Archbishop of Detroit, Vatican administratorArchbishop of Detroit in the 1980s who hosted Pope John Paul II in 1987, then became the Vatican's top financial officer and governor of Vatican City.
Sports · 1929–1970
Terry Sawchukice hockey goaltenderHall of Fame goaltender who won three of his four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and, at his death, held the all-time NHL records for wins and shutouts.
Music · 1941–2023Barrett Strongsinger, songwriterSinger of "Money (That's What I Want)," Motown's first hit, who became the lyricist behind "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone."
Music · 1936–2008Levi Stubbssinger, voice actorLifelong Detroiter and lead voice of the Four Tops, formed with Pershing High School friends, who sang “Reach Out I'll Be There” and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.Lightnin' Slimblues singer, guitaristLouisiana swamp-blues star of Excello Records who later worked in a Pontiac foundry, was rediscovered there in 1970, and died in Detroit in 1974.
Politics · 1903–1961George G. Sadowskilawyer, politicianDetroit-born son of a Polish-American family who went from the city's east-side schools to the Michigan Senate and three terms in Congress in the 1930s.
Press & broadcasting · 1835–1906
James E. Scrippsnewspaper publisher, founder of The Detroit News, art patronLondon-born publisher who founded The Evening News (today's Detroit News) in 1873 and helped create the Detroit Museum of Art, forerunner of the DIA.
Politics · 1769–1846Solomon Sibleylawyer, first mayor of Detroit, territorial judgePioneer lawyer who arrived in 1797, wrote Detroit's first city charter and in 1806 became its first mayor, later serving as territorial delegate and chief justice.
Music · 1936–2013Bobby SmithsingerPrincipal lead singer of the Spinners from their founding at a Ferndale high school in 1954 until 2013.
Politics · 1882–1942John W. Smithpipefitter, postmaster, mayor of DetroitFormer newsboy and pipefitter who rose to postmaster and mayor, defeating a Klan-backed write-in candidate in 1924 and serving twice (1924–1928 and 1933).James Stinsonelectronic musician, producerEast-side Detroit producer who co-founded the Afrofuturist electro duo Drexciya and recorded the cult album Lifestyles of the Laptop Café.Turkey Stearnesbaseball player, center fielderHall of Fame slugger of the Negro-league Detroit Stars who made Detroit his home for more than fifty years; Hamtramck Stadium's field bears his name.Martha Jean Steinbergradio broadcaster, station owner, minister"The Queen" of Detroit soul radio on WCHB and WJLB, who pleaded for calm on air during the 1967 uprising and later bought her own gospel station, WQBH.
Bernhard Strohbrewer, founder of the Stroh BreweryGerman brewer from Kirn who founded the Lion's Head Brewery in Detroit in 1850, the start of the Stroh Brewery that brewed in the city for 135 years.The lexicon keeps growing. Every entry lists its sources at the bottom. Dates were checked against Wikidata and Wikipedia. The texts are our own. Famous people's places among the sights ↗
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